Are we shelf- conscious book buyers?
With 200 million books bought in the UK alone in 2021, we’re a nation of book lovers.
In many rental properties, you’re not allowed to redecorate, or hang things like picture frames or posters on walls. So, to make their homes their own in a cheap and creative way, people have turned to buying books for decoration.
With the rise in video calls since the start of the pandemic, lots more people see our homes on camera. You’re not alone if you’ve ever hidden that guilty pleasure book (Katie Price autobiography anyone?) on your bookshelf before a Zoom call. We all know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover… but we all know people do!
So, we wanted to find out about renters' book buying habits, and if people are really buying books to be used as decoration, rather than to read…
Our research found that more than half of renters do use books as décor, showing that books aren’t just bought for their contents. We may be a nation of book lovers, but one in three renters also admit to reading less than half the books they own. We also found that almost a quarter admit to re-organising their bookshelves to show off the books they think are most impressive (and 23% have even re-ordered the books on their bookshelf by the colour of their spine!)
Almost half of the people we surveyed thought art, design and photography books were the most likely to impress house guests. The top three books renters have recently bought primarily for display are Chanel, Vogue and Harry Potter books.
Books are a great way to make your space your own, so it’s no wonder we’re incorporating them into our homes more. Just have a scroll on Amazon or stroll into your local charity shop. Books are there to be enjoyed - in any way you like!
Fancy living rent free this month?! To grab an extra entry into our Live Rent Free competition, all you have to do is answer the question below, which is your extra entry coupon into this month’s prize draw – click the button below and enter it in the box. Be quick though, the code expires at midday on Wednesday 31st August when this month's competition ends. Good luck!
Q: How many books were bought in the UK alone in 2021? A: '___ million’